FORGE Greensboro

View from the FORGE parking lot down West Lewis Street - Southend Greensboro Arts District

Have you ever seen something on Instagram or Pinterest and said to yourself, “I can make that!” Only to realize you do not have the right tools, the space or the materials on hand to make it happen? That is me – I have been wanting to create a “Bottle Wall” feature in my backyard garden. It is going to look amazing, I can visualize it there, and have talked about it for months with my friends. They are even saving their wine bottles for me, and you may or may not have seen me rummaging through Lumina’s recycling a time or two early on Sunday mornings.

The thing is – I have some of the things I need to do the project - except the equipment and the knowledge. You see, I have to drill a hole in each and every wine bottle I have collected so I can slide them onto a long rebar pole (see photo). Now, I have googled how to do this, watched many You Tube videos, even ordered the diamond drill bits I will need to cut into the glass bottle bottoms from Amazon, but it is a daunting task. Everything I have read or watched says you should use a standing drill press for best results – okay, but those cost anywhere from $999 for a cheap one up to $5,000 or more. Not what I had in mind for this one-time project!

A friend suggested I talk to a local glass company about drilling the holes – but they are not set up for that type of work and would charge around $20 to drill the holes (PER BOTTLE!) which in most cases, is more than the wine cost that came in them! Okay, next suggestion… that same friend had recently attended a function and met the Executive Director of FORGE Greensboro, and she suggested they might be able to help me.

I had never heard of them and had no idea who they were or what they did, but it sounded intriguing so I looked them up online and booked an

Inspiration for bottle wall project in my garden.

appointment to learn more about them to see if they might be able to help me in this project.

In 2012, the founders of Forge Greensboro were getting together in coffee shops and sharing tools. They were a group of hobbyists, tinkerers, artisans, and students who wanted to work and collaborate together by merging their tools into one place and build a community makerspace. Creating an open, diverse, and affordable atmosphere was very important to them, so when they incorporated in 2013, they did so as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, capable of accepting donations and contributions. They found a space on 115 West Lewis Street, in an almost forgotten area of downtown. Because the building was once the local blacksmith, the founders coined the new makerspace “The Forge.”

Almost three years later, membership had grown beyond the capacity of the 3,400 square foot space, and the management workload was growing for the completely volunteer-run organization. In the fall of 2016, with West Lewis Street transformed into a vibrant downtown attraction, the Board of Directors and membership agreed that Forge Greensboro needed more space and a full-time employee. That winter they moved down the street to 219 West Lewis Street. This building, once the auxiliary livery stables, increased the facility to 8,000 square feet. Visible from Eugene Street, the gateway to downtown Greensboro, Forge Greensboro’s increased space is now capable of hosting several startup entrepreneurs, college student projects, artisan activities, and has classroom space for educational programs.

Whether your interests lie in making pottery, wood working, welding, garment making, crochet or knitting, electronics or you just like being around entrepreneurial like-minded free spirits, you should definitely check out membership at the Forge. With monthly classes that give you the basics, or take you step by step to completion of your project, the skillsets that are available to you at the Forge would cost you a fortune to learn anywhere else. With mentors available in each discipline to consult with and even get private training with, this is a great opportunity.

The Forge's Mission is to foster a creative and collaborative environment for experimentation and development in making, skill building, technology, and art through interacting with the local community through education and cultural participation and sharing the experience of making locally and globally.

With an open format and variety of tools, the Forge introduces a broad spectrum of skills and possibilities at a low cost. Their workshops and classes can be used to promote innovative thinking, drive personal empowerment, discover new career opportunities, or pursue a rewarding hobby. Members of the Forge come from a diverse variety of backgrounds: students, entrepreneurs, artisans, trade professionals, tinkerers, and hobbyists enjoy the space, community, and resources of Forge Greensboro.

In January, Programs Coordinator, Jennie Savage was promoted to Programs Director, responsible for the growth and creation of new and existing programming.

Jennie gave me the grand tour of the FORGE and we discussed the specifics of what I am looking for help with on my project, and lo and behold – they have a beautiful drill press that will definitely get the job done, and instructors to show me how to use it and guide me through the whole process. Not only that, but in the wood working section of the tour, I

Wood working area. 3D Printers and materials

Garment design and fabric section of the FORGE

CO2 laser machines for cutting, or engraving wood, metal, glass, etc

learned that I could take a class and learn how to program their CNC machine to carve vines on my posts to resemble grapevines and really make the project unique. I am so excited I cannot wait to get started – oh, and the cost of membership to use their tools- $65 a month – much less expensive than buying all that equipment and junking up my garage for months, not to mention the safety protocols in place that I might not even have thought of!

If I needed an actual dedicated space to work, they also rent out 8 x 8 and 4 x 8 cubicles, some with locks and some that are open like this example. That way you don't have to pack up your stuff each time and take it with you, you can leave your work in progress and just pick up right where you left off the next time you come in. Or, if you don't need a whole space, but don't want to haul your materials with you each time, you can rent shelving to store your items there onsite until your project is finished.

Membership in the FORGE gets me 24/7 access to the building via a smartphone app, and they have so many things to offer that who knows what crafty thing I will think up next. If you have a project that might require specific (read “expensive”) tools, you definnitely want to look into joining FORGE Greensboro as well.

For more info, go to www.forgegreensboro.org, or call them for a visit at 336.252.5331. The FORGE is located in the really cool newly revitalized Southend section of Greensboro at 219 West Lewis Street.